This new work surveys how rapid changes taking place at the start of the twenty-first century in social, cultural, political and economic domains impact on sexuality, health and human rights. The relationships between men, women and children are changing quickly, as are traditional family structures and gender norms. What were once viewed as private matters have become public, and an array of new social movements – transgender, intersex, sex worker, people living with HIV – have come into the open.

The book is split into three sections:

• Global ‘Sex’ Wars – discusses the notion of sexualities, its political landscapes internationally, and the return of religious fervour and extremism
• Epistemological Challenges and Research Agendas – examines modern ‘scientific’ understandings of sexuality, its history and the way in which AIDS has drawn attention to sexuality
• The Promises and Limits of Sexual Rights – discusses human rights approaches to sexuality, their strengths and limitations and new ways of imagining erotic justice

Offering a unique framework for understanding this new world, set in the context of the major theoretical debates of recent decades, this book will be of interest to professionals, advocates and policy researchers and is suitable for a wide range of courses covering areas such as gender studies, human sexuality, public health and social policy.